Shopify third-party payment providers: what direct, external and separate checkout actually mean
Shopify supports more than one way to accept payments outside Shopify Payments. The important part is understanding which part of checkout changes and where the buyer completes payment.
Updated 4 October 2026
Direct third-party provider
With a direct provider, the buyer completes payment on the Shopify store without being sent to a separate third-party payment page.
External third-party provider
With an external provider, Shopify says the buyer completes payment on a checkout page hosted outside the online store, then returns to the store flow.
Separate external checkout layer
A product such as Voss Checkout is a broader checkout layer rather than simply choosing another provider inside Shopify's Payments settings. The buyer moves from the Shopify cart into a branded Voss checkout connected to the merchant's own Whop account, and the successful paid order is written back to Shopify.
What to compare before choosing a route
- Whether the provider supports your country, business model and products.
- Processing fees and Shopify third-party transaction fees.
- Where the buyer completes checkout.
- Supported currencies and local payment methods.
- Refunds, disputes and payout timing.
- How reliably paid orders reach Shopify.
Can you use Shopify Payments at the same time?
Shopify currently allows Shopify Payments to be used alongside some direct third-party providers. In that setup, the third-party provider can handle card transactions while Shopify Payments can still provide supported methods such as Shop Pay and local payment methods. Fees differ depending on which provider processes the transaction.
Where Voss fits
Voss is designed for merchants who want to keep Shopify as the operating system for the store while using a separate branded checkout connected to Whop.
Official references
Shopify third-party payment providers · Using Shopify Payments with a third-party provider.
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